Please join us for SIM Research Day to hear about the exciting research projects our graduate students are working on. Featuring lightening talks by students in the MLIS, MIM and IDPhD programs. The full schedule of speakers is below. All are welcome – no cost – no RSVP required.
The report “Social License to Operate” was released on January 31st. Dr. Vivian Howard (SIM Associate Professor & Associate Dean-Academic for the Faculty of Management) was the lead author on the report. MLIS student (and Institutional Analyst with Dalhousie Analytics), Tyler Lightfoot, was also part of the team. This report will be published annually.
From the Executive Summary:
SLO captures whether a company operating in a particular location has the approval of the local community. In October 2017, a bilingual on-line survey was sent to a sample of Canadians aged 18 and over. We asked Canadians about the sub-components of the SLO — trustworthiness, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, and ethical practices — in relation to national transportation providers, food retailers, clothing retailers, and government departments. Participants also had the opportunity to evaluate local organizations. We received 1641 completed replies that were drawn from every province and territory. To our knowledge, this is the first survey of this kind conducted in Canada.
From Dr. Howard:
“It was our first time working on something like this, and we quite enjoyed it…I think we’re uniquely positioned in the Faculty of Management to do this kind of study, because we have the right combination of people from our different schools. It made social licensing such an obvious choice.”
Congrats to the entire team! You can download the full report here, and read more details on Dal News here.
[photo credit: Nick Pearce]
Each year, SIM awards up to two $500 prizes to current MLIS students to fund conference travel. The Alberta Letts Conference Travel award is named for past Provincial Librarian, and Past President of CLA (1957/1958), Alberta Letts. Ms. Letts was a strong supporter of the foundation of the School and was very engaged during its early years. After her untimely death in 1973, Dalhousie University established this award to recognize Ms Letts’ contribution.
Our most recent recipient is Scarlett Kelly. Read on to learn more about her conference experience:
Scarlett Kelly
I attended the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-51) at Big Island from January 3rd to 6th. HICSS is an international A-level conference and one of the four most long-lived, prominent, and creditable conferences in the field of information sciences in the world, so I feel very fortunate to be accepted. The conference included a full-day workshop and three days of presentations. The topics covered every possible aspect of information and system sciences, such as social media, text mining, e-government, health informatics, and collaboration in a cloud environment. I tried to attend at least one presentation in each topic. The workshops that I attended were “IT as the Driver of Innovation for Digital Transformation Across the Enterprise” and “Smart Data – A Pathway to the Future”. I learned a lot from both the workshops and the paper presentations.
My paper was about a communication strategy between data miners and domain users. In the time of big data, interesting findings in the eyes of data miners are sometimes not interesting in the eyes of domain users due to human subjectivity and miscommunication between data miners and domain users. Based on the successful reference services model in the library setting, my paper proposed to create a Data Liaison Specialist role that can potentially bridge the two fields of knowledge that do not speak the same language and increase the acceptance rate of interesting findings. My paper can be found in the conference proceeding at http://hdl.handle.net/10125/49913
Shared from here.
The Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program [Principal Investigator – SIM Professor, Dr. Bertrum MacDonald) is featured in the latest issue of Marine Ecosystems and Management (MEAM) in an article titled “Get Your Research off the Shelf and Into Policy: Writing Reports and Briefs that Influence Decision Making.” Written in the form of an interview, this brief article outlines the research agenda of the EIUI team and suggests several initiatives that could be pursued to improve the use of scientific information in the development of marine policy and management:
MEAM is a “monthly information service on ocean planning and ecosystem-based management … [that] serves the global resource management community with news, analysis, and tips gathered from experts around the world.” MEAM is available through Open Channels, “the knowledge hub for the global community of practice on ocean planning, ecosystem-based management, and marine protected areas.”
To read the article, check this link.
To read the full issue of MEAM (vol. 11, no. 3, December 2017 – January 2018), check this link.
By Diana Castillo (MLIS ’18)
At the end of October, I was lucky enough to attend the annual International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC) conference held in Honolulu. I was there to present some preliminary findings from my thesis project (Meeting Information Needs through Innovation: A Case Study of the Use of the International Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts Database – see abstract below) examining the use of the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts database.
A key theme of the conference was rethinking how we approach problems and how best to communicate our stories. The idea was to encourage attendees to re-conceptualize how they approach problems, work to articulate goals and how to achieve them, and become more effective advocates for libraries. The conference encouraged attendees to tap into their creative sides, with sessions on puppet making and storytelling, which was a fun way to think outside the box. The keynote speakers also encouraged attendees to rethink certain assumptions they might have, specifically focusing on gender and cultural competency.
The conference finished by hosting a round-table discussion about the future of marine science librarians. While I wasn’t initially on the panel, I was roped in as the only student in attendance. It was interesting to hear what the other panelists viewed as the future of the profession (data management was mentioned a lot), and to listen to what they found to be the most valuable experiences while in school.
Overall, I found the conference to be a fantastic experience. The community was incredibly welcoming and helped me gain a sense of what my future may hold if I decide to go into this field. For other students, if you see a chance to attend a conference in a field you’re interested in, I highly recommend you take it.
Abstract (Diana’s thesis project):
A significant hallmark of today’s society is the large quantity of scientific information about oceans available to researchers and decision-makers in a wide diversity of formats. Although much information is easily accessible, sizeable volumes may be unknown or limited in access despite benefiting stakeholder communities. The ASFA database is an access point for a large amount of grey literature. Due to the rapidly changing information landscape, the future of ASFA in its present form is being reconsidered. This paper will report on research, pursued in collaboration with FAO, to determine how ASFA is currently accessed and used. The initial results from the research will be presented, along with preliminary discussion of how the service might evolve in the changing information landscape.
Re-blogged from CFAME Connection. By Louise Spiteri (SIM Associate Professor) – check out her regular column on the CFAME blog, where she explores IM news and research.
An interesting aspect of working in the information management field is the difficulty in explaining clearly and concisely the nature of the field. Many professions have a reasonably clear public profile, such as medical doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and so forth. Information managers, on the other hand, often find themselves in the position of having to explain what they do. The same is true also for those of us who teach and conduct research in this area.
There is no standard definition of what constitutes information management (IM). The Government of Canada defines it as a discipline that directs and supports effective and efficient management of information in an organization, from planning and systems development to disposal and/or long-term preservation.
Wikipedia defines IM as [the] cycle of organizational activity: the acquisition of information from one or more sources, the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it, and its ultimate disposition through archiving or deletion.
At the School of Information (SIM), we define information management as a people-centred approach to discovering, organizing, analyzing, representing, and accessing data, information, and knowledge. Effective IM gets the right information to the right people at the right time. I am undoubtedly biased, of course, but I think SIM’s definition captures the main functional areas of IM very well. We propose also the following areas of competencies for IM professionals:
The Government of Australia has a very well-crafted information management standard that could be applied to any organization, either public or private. The standard outlines eight principles for the management of business information:
The graphic below, from K.L. Scott & Associates, provides a good summary of IM processes:
This graphic shows the business value of IM to an organization:
Join Gaeten Landry and Dal Libraries staff members Lindsay McNiff and Margaret Vail for a discussion of Wikipedia followed by a learning session on Wikipedia editing. Participants will then embark on an on-site “edit-a-thon,” working with the aid of facilitators to edit Wikipedia. Participants work independently or in groups to locate and update/edit pages and citati
ons.
Gaeten Landry is a faculty member on the Agricultural Campus, and has been a Wikipedian since 2006. He has created about 175 articles and contributed over 190,000 edits. A member of the Bots Approval Group since 2011, he is responsible for overseeing the operation of bots on Wikipedia. He has written articles in The Wikipedia Signpost and is involved with several WikiProjects.
We encourage you to register for a free Wikipedia account before the event, but you can also register on-site if you prefer. Bring your own laptop if you can; a limited number will be available for use at the event.
Facilitators: Gaeten Landry, Lindsay McNiff, & Margaret Vail
Tuesday, October 24, 12–1:30 p.m. (bring your lunch)
Killam Memorial Library, Room 2902 & MacRae Library, Cobequid Room
RSVP: lindsay.mcniff@dal.ca
On September 28th, 2017, SIM co-hosted a one-day symposium (with Dalhousie Libraries and Libary & Archives Canada) entitled “Right to Know: Balancing Access & Privacy“.
Three MLIS students presented their research at this event. Read more about their fascinating projects below:
Nicole Dalrymple
As the Dalhousie University Archives intern, my research involved archival discovery and organization of information relating to Dalhousie’s 200th anniversary initiatives. This was done as part of the 2017 Co-lab project. First, we were responsible for creating biographical sketches and historical blurbs about people, buildings and events important to Dalhousie’s history as part of a digital exhibit launching this year. I am now in the process of putting those blurbs in our AtoM database as authority records, which allows users to see archival records about the topic, as well as relations linked to the topic. Next, we found information pertaining to Dalhousie’s faculties, including key dates, people, and relevant resources. These were organized in the History of Dalhousie Libguide for easier discovery. Finally, we worked on a social media calendar detailing an “on this day in…” fact for every day of 2018. Each fact will come with a digital object from the Archives, including photographs and posters. The goal of this research was to provide a pro-active, preventative approach to accessing archival materials. We want to ensure that our resources can be easily accessed and are well promoted ahead of the 200th anniversary
Alison Brown
I shared some findings from my MLIS thesis research that explored how access to participation in a read aloud program affected the lives of families experiencing maternal incarceration. The Mother-Child Read Aloud Program is offered to federally incarcerated women at Nova Institution for Women in Truro, NS. At each session, women select books for their children and record themselves reading the stories aloud. The recordings and books are then sent to their families. During my research, I spoke with six program participants and read 94 letters written by their children and children’s caregivers. Analysis of those interviews and letters revealed important outcomes of participation: meaningful contact and stronger relationships; improved sense of self-worth, focus, and positive identity for women; increased self-esteem and confidence for children; deeper interest in reading; and strengthened resilience. Eager to place the experiences and perspectives of criminalized women at the foreground, I shared direct quotes from the research participants. From one mother, “I haven’t seen my son walk. I haven’t seen him talk. I have heard little tiny bits on the phone but not often… This program lets me maintain that relationship, help him to still know my voice, to tie a book and an audio recording to me and him together.”
Scarlett Kelly
Information is a concept that crosses various disciplines, so research on information related topics requires knowledge and skills that connect across them all. This presentation drew from my research experience and reflection this summer. With the support of Mitacs Globalink Research Award, I conducted research on information creation behaviour in Rennes, France. At the LACODAM team at Inria, I developed a communication model between data miners and domain users in order to increase the recognition and acceptance of interesting findings. From the research process, challenges, and benefits, I developed a new understanding of how to apply interdisciplinary information skills into research.
By Scarlett Kelly (MLIS/MPA):
I spent the summer in France with the support of Mitacs Globalink Research Award. The award was used for my research on information creation behaviour. It was qualitative research and there were some very interesting findings generated from the interviews.
I also had a chance to work in the Large Scale Collaborative Data Mining (LACODAM) team at Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA). I developed a communication model for the data mining team, which has the potential to bridge the findings between data miners and domain users. I am currently looking for an opportunity to apply the communication model to a real-life situation.
It was a very meaningful summer because I had the opportunity to learn about data mining in a top research institution in France. Moreover, I was able to apply my knowledge in social sciences, such as reference service in a library setting, into an interdisciplinary research area in computer science. I felt I could make a positive change in communication practice in data mining.
My own research on information creation behaviour also inspired me to explore some related areas, such as data ownership and security, privacy, behavioral psychology in the Cloud, human rights in the digital era, renewed relations between people, business, and government, and accountability in the age of the “digital fingerprint”.
Other than research, I visited almost all the major cities in Bretagne and, of course, Paris, and enjoyed the rich history and legends, beautiful scenery, amazing architecture, and art pieces that I had previously only seen in art history textbooks. It was one of the best summers I have ever had.
Each year, SIM awards up to two $500 prizes to current MLIS students to fund conference travel. The Alberta Letts Conference Travel award is named for past Provincial Librarian, and Past President of CLA (1957/1958), Alberta Letts. Ms. Letts was a strong supporter of the foundation of the School and was very engaged during its early years. After her untimely death in 1973, Dalhousie University established this award to recognize Ms Letts’ contribution.
Our most recent recipients are Alison Brown and Diana Castillo. Read on to learn more about their conference presentations:
Alison Brown
The threads of shared reading between caregiver and child are woven tightly to reinforce a foundation of literacy and family connection. Each year, 25,000 Canadian children experience the unraveling of those threads as their mothers are sent to prison. Emerging research identifies the impact of separation during maternal incarceration: disruption of the attachment bond, financial and food insecurity, physical and mental health problems, and isolation resulting from community stigma. To mitigate some of these effects, various programs have been designed to enable imprisoned mothers to maintain contact with their children. Shared reading programs are among them. My thesis explores the value and impact of one of those programs from the perspective of former participants and reveals what elements of the program strengthen relationships, build family literacy, foster empowerment, and ease community re-entry.
The Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS) 2017 conference theme (“The Warp & Weft of Knowledge: Information Threads Connecting Disciplines, Identities and Perspectives”) encouraged us to explore how our field of information science – like information itself – spans disciplinary boundaries, connects multiple and varying identities, illuminates different perspectives, and inspires innovative ideas. I welcomed the opportunity to share with conference participants the preliminary findings of my research that urges academics, practitioners, and policy-makers to co-construct information and knowledge that informs more meaningful policies and programs. As a recipient of the Alberta Letts Conference Travel Award, I was supported to amplify the voices and expertise of those too often silenced.
Diana Castillo
This past spring, my paper abstract was accepted by the Pop Culture Association of Canada for their annual conference. The paper, originally written for “INFO 5500: Information in Society”, examined how information and knowledge management has been used in tie-in fiction and focused applying concepts we learned into the popular culture sphere. The conference, held in Niagara Falls this year, serves as a forum for academics analyzing all aspects of popular culture, from TV shows to media coverage of elections to the role of women in sports media. I was part of a panel that examined how fandom was organized, bringing an information management perspective to media canon and how it’s managed.
One of the core tenants of the School of Information Management is emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the MLIS degree. Presenting at this conference, meeting scholars of popular culture, and discussing what role information management can play in this field all tie into this. By participating in this conference, I was not only the only representing Dalhousie University, but I was also demonstrating how diverse and flexible the field of information management can be. Popular culture studies may be not what first comes to mind when thinking of information management, but my participation in this conference and the interest attendees had about my presentation demonstrated that this is an flexible field that can adapt to different disciplines.
